Zipper
by Honor Reid
Summary: Kono's zipper on her brand new dress gets stuck and she asks Danny for help. Kono/Danny


**A/N:** Many, many thanks to my beta for this story **lanalucy**.

This was written for the LJ comm **stories_a_z** prompt Z, and **hc_bingo** prompt: Vehicle Crash. Also for the comm **older_not_dead** prompt: wind in her hair.

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 **~Hawaii Five-0~**

"Are you kidding me?" Kono whispered in disbelief as she desperately tried to tug the zipper up on the back of her dress. When it wouldn't budge, she tried going in the opposite direction-maybe she could get it to go back down. No dice. Dropping her arms because they had started to ache with the effort of holding them behind her back, Kono shook them slightly as she continued to mumble softly under her breath.

Looking up Kono caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The florescent lighting in the woman's restroom of the palace wasn't doing her any favors, but thankfully her hair and make-up still looked on point. Her dress, on the other hand, was firmly stuck and no amount of tugging in the last ten minutes had changed that fact.

The dress was an impulse buy from last week before she even had this blind date. The gown was insanely expensive and had wrecked her budget for the month, but it fit her perfectly. It was in a deep midnight blue, with silver thread running through it which caught the light and made it seem like she was wearing the stars. The halter top was fitted and the floor-length skirt flared out at the waist in soft chiffon folds, which allowed her black strappy high heels to peek out.

Unfortunately as exquisite as the dress was the zipper was a problem. Glancing around the restroom, Kono tried to figure out a way out of this situation. She could wait to see if another woman came in and then ask her for help but Kono knew that was unlikely considering it was 5:30 on a Friday night and the place had been pretty deserted when she had gone into the bathroom to change.

 _Chin._

Her cousin had been getting ready to leave, shutting down the computers and filing his reports, but hopefully he was still here.

Pushing open the bathroom door, Kono looked both ways, seeing only an empty hallway, she quickly made her way towards Five-O's offices, with one hand behind her desperately clutching the two halves of her dress together to offer up some sort of coverage for her bare back. As she walked into the main area, Kono saw the computers were shut down and Chin's office was dark.

 _Damn it_.

Turning slowly in a circle she saw all of the offices were deserted, all accept Danny's. Kono could see her fellow detective's desk lamp was still on and the man himself was hunched over still filling out paperwork. Kono hesitated. It seemed like a simple enough favor to ask someone she considered a friend. But Danny was actually the reason she had gone against her cardinal rule of no blind dates. She had been infatuated with him for about a year now. She had fought against that fact for a long time before that, but eventually she'd faced up to it. Once she had realized that she didn't just think of Danny just as a friend like she did Steve she had also faced up to the fact that he did not feel the same way. He treated her like he did Chin and Steve-like a friend/co-worker. So in an attempt to move on, she had agreed to allow one of her aunties to set her up on a blind date. Apparently Kai was a nephew of one of her aunt's best friends. He was a successful sports photographer and from what Kono had heard an all around nice guy, exactly the type of guy her family had always wanted her to marry. It was probably telling that up to this point Kono had been more excited to wear the dress than to go on the date, but she was hoping that would change once she arrived at the restaurant and actually met the man.

Glancing at the clock, she saw it was now 6:15 and she needed to get a move on if she was going to make it by 7:00. Kai had offered to pick her up from work but Kono had refused because although she was breaking her rule about blind dates she wasn't going to break her rule about always driving herself for the first date-that way she could always leave if she wanted. Deciding she was being stupid, because this was Danny, and who though he didn't want her the same way she wanted him, he was still her friend, and once Danny claimed you as a friend he would do just about anything for you.

Striding determinedly down the corridor, she knocked lightly on his door and upon hearing a faint _come in_ from inside, pushed open the door saying, "Hey Danny I need your help."

"Hey Kono I thought you had already left…" Danny's voice trailed off when he looked up. Kono saw his mouth move as though he wanted to say something but nothing came out. His eyes widened and then hearing he cleared his throat twice, which had her smiling apparently the dress did look good on her.

He put his pen down and stood, saying "Wow you look stunning." His voice held wonder in it that did funny things to her stomach.

Feeling a bit shy for the first time in a long time, Kono whispered, "Thanks."

He came to stand next to her and she found herself getting lost in his ocean blue eyes, until he said in a gruff voice, "Do you need help with your dress?"

Telling herself to get with it, she determinedly broke eye contact and grinned sheepishly, "Yes. The zipper seems to be stuck. Can you try to get it to go up?"

Turning around and letting go of the two halves she had been clutching, she heard him say in a voice that sounded a bit strangled, "Of course…let's see…"

Keeping her eyes facing the far wall, Kono felt the first brush his fingers against her lower back. She jumped just a bit before whispering a quiet _sorry._

He acknowledged it with a gentle hum before saying in a distracted voice, "I think that some of the flowy part of your dress is caught in the teeth of the zipper. Just so you know I am not trying to get fresh I promise."

Kono felt a laugh bubble up at the sincerity of his words, because one thing she knew for sure was that Danny was a gentleman. With amusement spilling out, she gave permission, "Do what you've got to do. I really need this zipper to go up."

The wide smile spreading across her face slowly fell when she felt a couple of his fingers dip into the opening of her dress and grasp the zipper, pulling it up and out so he could start to work the fabric out. She felt a small shiver go up her spine just from the heat of his hands brushing sporadically against her back as he attempted to fix the problem. She tried not to think about how much she wanted him to lay a palm flat against her skin and slowly slide up her back and curve around neck, and Danny could then turn her around drawing her forward into a kiss. No. She wouldn't think about that at all because that would be bad.

 _Really really bad._

She heard a triumphant _gotcha,_ and then felt the zipper glide upward. Shoving down unreasonable disappointment, she turned around, pasting a bright smile on her face, and said "Thank you so much."

Danny, who looked about bit flushed and couldn't quite meet her eyes as he took a step backward and cleared his throat, blurted out, "You're welcome." When he finally made eye contact with her again, Kono could see the sincerity in his eyes when he said, "You really do look very beautiful."

Kono felt her breath catch a bit, and for a brief moment she thought she saw maybe a bit of longing in Danny's eyes but then it was gone. As he walked back to his desk and sat back down she mused she must have been mistaken.

"Thank you," Kono said in a low voice, and when he gave her a lopsided smile, she turned quickly away and left. As she hurriedly gathered her stuff from the restroom and made her way to the car, she tried not to think about the fact that all of the shininess had worn off the idea of this date. And as she started up her car and put it into gear, and determinedly stepped on the gas, she told herself it was stupid to want to go back upstairs and ask Danny if he wanted to go with her to dinner instead. It was time to move on.

 **~Hawaii Five-0~**

"No, No, NO, NO…STAY IN YOUR LANE!" Kono screamed as the oncoming car crossed the median. Swerving to the right and slamming on the brakes, Kono felt the car roughly bounce over rocks and fishtail before sliding to a stop in a deserted field.

Leaning forward and resting her head against the steering wheel. Kono tried to get her breathing under control. Her heart was racing and she was shaking as her body tried to deal with the adrenaline coursing through her. Slowly sitting back, Kono grabbed the handle with a shaky hand and opened the car door.

Standing on limbs that didn't seem to want to hold her up, Kono tried to take stock of the situation. She was a bit shaken up but okay. Taking in the damage in what little bit of moonlight that was filtering through the cloudy sky, Kono eventually gave up and grabbed her purse. Pulling out her phone, she turned on the flashlight function, then took a slow walk around the car. Seeing the left front tire was flat filled her with the urge to cuss and when she saw the right rear tire was also losing air she actually let loose with a few choice words. She knew how to change a flat, but two tires would need a tow truck. She glanced at her phone and saw it was only nine o'clock, so she should still be able to call for roadside assistance. Quickly dialing the number on the back of her insurance card she arranged for a tow truck, but was dismayed to hear that it would be over an hour until they could get to out to her location.

This whole evening had been a mistake. First she had arrived a few minutes late for the date, and Kai was a bit miffed by her tardiness at first, but after she apologized a couple of times he seemed to get over it. Next he had proceeded to go on and on about his work -sports photography- which should have been really interesting because Kono loved sports and photography. But the guy made both sound so dry and boring. She couldn't get a word in edgewise and to top it off, Kai had never once asked her about herself, just droned on and on about how wealthy he was and how famous he was in the industry. Her smile had gotten evermore fake as the evening had worn on. She barely touched her food as her appetite had dissipated. She ended up taking most of her meal with her in a to go container.

Once dinner was over, Kono politely declined his offer of drinks at his condo. She had been really thankful that she had driven herself. The date had been a bust and a waste of a good dress. Kono leaned against the car, crossing her arms against a sudden chill, a glance at her phone told her, only a half-hour had passed. Kono honestly didn't know how the night could get any worse.

As though Mother Nature all of a sudden had an overwhelming urge to show how wrong she could be, the heavens opened up and rain poured down. It went from nothing to a deluge in seconds. Letting out a startled shriek, Kono quickly got back into the car to wait for the tow truck driver. It took her only seconds to get in the car but that was more than enough time for her to get soaked, her chiffon dress not made for such bad weather. Shivering slightly Kono grabbed her sweater from the back and quickly wrapped it around her. Wiping the water off her phone, she saw it had only been five minutes since she last checked the time.

Rolling her eyes at herself, she opened up the Words With Friends app to pass the time. Apparently the team had all played; Kono quickly went through her list and played words for Danny, Steve, Chin, Grover, and Max. By time she had gone through the whole list once, Danny had already gone again. Tapping on his name, and she saw he had tied their game, seeing a way to capitalize on a triple word he had left open, Kono played the word _verve_ and hit the bubble in the right hand corner. She typed out a quick _sorry bruh_ with smile before sending her message knowing her friend's competitive streak was on par with hers and he would soon hit back with another word to try to win their game.

She was surprised when instead, her phone beeped letting her know she'd gotten a text message that simply asked,

 _How's it going?_

She typed out a _not well_ with a forlorn added at the end.

Kono started a bit when her phone rang almost immediately, and seeing Danny's name pop up, she smiled slightly before answering.

"Hey Danny," Kono sighed into the phone, trying to keep her voice light.

"Hey Kono. What's wrong?" Danny asked, the sound of his voice causing the knot in her chest to relax a bit. She hadn't realized how tense she still was until that moment.

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out, Kono said, "My date was a flop and thankfully ended early, but now my car is on the side of the road. I'm waiting for a tow truck." Looking at the clock embedded in her dash, "Which should be here within the next couple of minutes."

"Did your car break down?" Danny asked, a hint of concern tingeing his voice.

"No, a car crossed the median and I swerved to avoid them and punctured both tires."

"Are you okay?" This time the concern came through loud and clear and gave her a warm feeling in her chest.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little shaken up…" Kono stopped abruptly as her screen lit up and showed a call from an unknown number, "Hold on Danny. I think the tow truck driver is calling."

She heard a faint okay before she switched over, thankfully not hanging up on Danny in the process. The operator came on and Kono felt her heart sink the longer the woman spoke. Giving a perfunctory thank you, Kono switched back.

"So what's up?" Danny asked as soon as the line connected.

Giving in to a long sigh, Kono said, "The operator said it would be another couple of hours due to a pile-up on the freeway. Seriously this night officially is irredeemable."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, a couple of hours, that's way too long. Where are you? I'll come pick you up," Danny said. There was muffled noise in the background like he was moving around as he spoke.

"I don't want to put you out," Kono said tentatively giving him an out, although she was thankful for the offer, as another two hours trapped in her car in the dark with the rain pouring down sounded awful.

"Hey, it's no problem. I'm just glad you're okay," Danny said.

She could hear him opening the door and then starting his car. Typing out her general location, Kono texted it to Danny.

She heard his phone buzz and then he said, "Got it. Be there in twenty minutes."

Kono found she didn't want to hang up and lose her connection with her friend, so she asked him how Grace and Christopher were doing and found herself smiling for the first time that night as his loved-filled ranting rang through the speaker of her cell phone.

 **~Hawaii Five-0~**

It was still raining buckets when Danny pulled over as close as he could to her car. Grabbing her purse, phone, and to go bag, Kono made a mad dash toward the black Camaro, wind whipping through her hair as she practically dove into the passenger seat. Even with Danny parking so close, Kono still ended up getting soaked.

As they drove down the road, Kono glanced over at her friend and saw that he must have rushed out the door as soon as she called, because he was wearing flannel sleep pants and a jacket over a white undershirt. She couldn't help but think it was a good look on him. When Danny glanced her way, Kono quickly averted her gaze, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she realized she'd been staring.

Desperately wanting to fill the silence Kono blurted out, "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Danny glanced down at his outfit and it was his turn to be embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck squinting through the windshield trying to discern the road through the darkness, wind, and the rain, "No not yet, I always play at least one round of Words With Friends before bed."

Kono smiled and let out a small laugh, "I do the same thing. I tell myself just one more game and I end up staying up all hours."

"Yeah I've found myself accidentally up till two looking at random articles on Wikipedia or playing old arcade games on my phone as well," Danny said as he turned his blinker on before making a turn.

She perked up at the mention of vintage arcade games; she had a secret weakness for them. They spent the next twenty minutes discussing the pros and cons of their favorites.

Even through the torrential downpour, Kono was surprised to recognize her street; she hadn't been paying attention to where they were as she had been enjoying learning more about her teammate. As Danny pulled into the driveway and put the car into park, Kono turned to her friend intent on telling him thank you when a loud rumble filled the car.

Gathering up her purse and leftovers, Kono blurted out, a smile growing across her face, "Was that your stomach?"

Danny cleared his throat and with an embarrassed smile, said, "I am so sorry I haven't eaten much today."

Kono watched as Danny tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. Not wanting the evening to end, she reached over and placed one hand over his, stilling the nervous fidgeting and suggested, "I didn't have much of an appetite at dinner, how about we split the leftovers?" Kono was glad they were sitting in the dark as she felt her face heat up.

"I'd like that," Danny said in a gruff voice as his eyes met hers, and the butterflies in her stomach got worse. When he tangled his fingers with hers Kono's smile widened and when he brought her hand up to his mouth and placed a kiss on her palm she felt her breath catch.

They sprinted towards the house, hands still clasped together; giggling as Kono fumbled with her keys, finally getting the lock to turn as they practically fell into the living room. Leaving the leftovers on the table Kono turned toward Danny and smiled nervously before saying, "I should change." She held out the folds of her sodden dress as proof.

Danny grabbed the leftovers, moving towards the kitchen as he said, "I'll dish this up for us. If that's okay?"

"Sure," Kono said, starting down the hallway. She remembered her cupboards were empty, winced, and called out, "The dishes in the dishwasher are clean."

She heard a faint okay as she shut her bedroom door. Hurrying, she snatched her good pair of yoga pants and a cute white t-shirt that hugged her in the right places. She was nervous because she honestly never thought she stood a chance with Danny but the kiss in the car had changed everything. Kicking off her shoes and pulling her sweater over her head, she tossed it carelessly in the corner. Kono reached behind her and tugged on the zipper as she crossed the room, heading toward the bathroom to change quickly.

She came into living room just as Danny rounded the corner carrying both plates. Taking one plate from him, Kono settled on one end of the couch and smiled to herself when Danny sat next to her rather than on the other end.

Flipping on the television, they had a friendly debate about what to watch before settling on a football game. They ate and chatted about who would be going to this year's Super Bowl as they mocked the officials when they inevitably blew calls.

Once dinner was finished they placed their plates on the coffee table and settled back into the couch. Only this time Kono settled into the crook of Danny's arm and his hand rested warmly against her upper arm, his thumb drawing lazy circles against her skin. Resting her head against his shoulder, Kono could feel the residual tension from the night's misadventures leave her as she settled deeper into his arms.

The game lasted for another half-hour, but Kono wasn't really paying that much attention. She was letting the sound wash over her, feeling more content than she had in a long time. When it was over, she felt Danny place a kiss on the crown of her head. Sitting up, she smiled softly before placing her hand against the side of his face. She drew Danny forward, brushing her lips against his. Feeling his arms wrap around her waist, Kono deepened the kiss and her own arms wrapped around Danny's neck.

She threaded her fingers through his hair as Danny's hands traveled from her waist to cup the sides of her face. As they drew apart, Kono rested her forehead against his and tried to catch her breath.

Danny once again brushed his lips against hers, and then sitting back a bit ran a thumb over her bottom lip before asking "Is this okay?"

Kono nodded, "Yes. Are you okay with this?"

Smiling widely Danny said, "Babe, I am more than okay." Looking down, Danny cleared his throat before looking back up, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of desire and uncertainty "I have been wanting to ask you out for awhile but was unsure of how you felt."

Kono couldn't help but shake her head at the two of them and the fact they both had been pining for each other.

Surging forward, Danny captured her lips once more and Kono enthusiastically poured her love and desire into kissing him.

Eventually they broke apart, shifting on the couch until they were lying side by side facing each other, their kisses becoming less frantic and slower and more drawn out. They talked into the night about the past and what the future could hold, stealing kisses in between the stops and starts in their conversation, and just before dawn, they fell asleep their arms wrapped around each other.

 **The End**


End file.
